Egypt therefore flourished at that time, not only with men learned in Christian philosophy, but also with those who, dwelling throughout the vast desert, wrought signs and wonders by an apostolic simplicity of life and sincerity of heart. Of these, meanwhile, those whom we ourselves saw and by whose hands we were deemed worthy to be blessed are these: Macarius of the upper desert, another Macarius of the lower, Isidore in Scetis, Pambo in the Cells, Moses and Benjamin in Nitria, Scyrion and Elias and Paul in Apeliotes, another Paul in Phocis, Poemen and Joseph in Pispir, which was called the mountain of Antony. But that many others also of this sort of men dwelt in the parts of Egypt, we learned by faithful report, so that truly the saying of the Apostle was fulfilled:
'That where sin abounded, grace did much more abound' (Romans 5). Now about the same time Mesopotamia too had noble men, excelling in the same pursuits. Some of these we ourselves saw in person at Edessa and in the regions of Carrae, but the greater number we came to know by report.